Dredj

hi guys

this specifically relates to dredj"s assertion that BRP ships from us amazon on or around the 4th june. However the earliest available date i could find on the site was june 20th? what gives?

I'm just going by the date that Amazon.com, U.S. has down. I very recently "preordered" another item from Amazon that's still in preorder stage, despite the fact that it was shipped to me 2 days ago. So Amazon is not proving to be very reliable a source for shipping dates.

Chaosium says the book will be released late in the month, but doesn't give a date.

Well, yes it can be adapted - but not very easily. What I think you need is a system combining the EnGarde matrix with percentile-rolls and their special/critical/fumble effects. It's good fun but so complex it needs a computer program to sort it out.

Here's my attempt: OnGarde! OnLine EnGarde Combat Script

Anyone interested in running it - select your opponents by the pop-downs, then click both the "?" buttons (to generate random sequences, unless you want to specify your own...), then click "Start". It can be amusing to see the action described. To continue after round one, click the "?"s again to top-up the sequences, and "Start" again. To re-start, Refresh the screen.

Sorry to say this, but nothing is really happening. I'm not on my usual computer, so i don't know if it's a problem with this computer or what (it's running Windows 98).

However, I did order the role playing game. I can't wait to see what that's like.

I preordered from Amazon.com, and not only got the Super Saver Shipping, but also an extra $2 off. And Amazon delivers much faster than Chaosium. I'm sure Amazon has a good supply on hand by the shipping date, which is supposed to be tomorrow.

I did order one thing from Steve Jackson games and found that the shipping was pretty fast, there, too. I had to wait "forever" for a monograph from Chaosium.

I probably should begin to think about an adventure with a washing machine

at the centre ... perhaps an alien washing machine ...

Maybe as a clue to what it is, there could be some kind of fabric in it with mysterious () stains on it:D

Did you notice that your post populated the comments section of the page you linked?

Not until you mentioned it. Maybe we'll get a response from someone who has one of these machines:)

Maybe someone who's viewing the site will buy BRP!

Here's a site I found that has some interesting stuff on it: Inventions and Ideas from Science Fiction Books and Movies at Technovelgy.com

I stopped at my FLGS today, and asked why there wasn't much in the way of rpgs on the shelves, anymore. The employee there said they pretty much just sell D&D style products and there's really not much demand for anything else. So I asked him about D&D number 4. He heard that it was designed more for convention play, as they found that people at conventions like to go from table to table and play their miniatures--without having to do too much role playing. But he admitted that it was hearsay, and he hadn't actually looked at the rules yet. However, he heard that people who are into D&D (and got to play some of it) LOVE the mechanics of the new edition.

This is a bit off topic, but i realized just how much the artwork of an rpg can make people really want to buy it. There was a bunch of books for "Castles & Crusades" and the artwork was really good. I almost bought a supplement for it because of the maps and the art. The employee at the store said he heard the gameplay of Castles & Crusades was ok, but when it comes to fantasy role playing, D&D is pretty much the only game that people really flock to.

Basically, BRP will probably never be seen on the shelves of my FLGS, because more and more people are going for miniatures games;-(

A couple weekends ago I stopped in at my FLGS looking for the new Mongoose Traveller (in spite of my dislike of Mongoose, I was really curious). It has been *months* since I was in, and in that time they've started carrying various Indie titles. In fact they have a whole shelf dedicated to them! After thinking about it, the next day I went back and bought "Spirit of the Century" and "Trail of Cthulhu".

After reading through a lot of the new Traveller book (I am surprised to say that I really like what I see with the exception of space combat), and some of "Trail of Cthulhu", I finally started in on "Spirit of the Century". While I'm having trouble finding time to read it, but I've read enough to decide that I rather the looks of the book, and it looks like a lot of fun. The FATE system seems easy enough, yet I'm wondering if anyone has tried to rip out Fudge/FATE and merge BRP with the Aspects and Stunts? I need to give this some more thought, and find time to do some more reading, but have wondering what others think.

Of course what I really want is to get my hands on "Pulp Cthulhu"... What can I say, I love BRP, but think it needs a little something extra for a "Pulp" game.

Zane

I used to be really big on the FUDGE/Fate system, but it can't do realistic stuff very well. But it does do things like pulp very well. Maybe making the BRP characters with more hit points or something like "armor" that would make it more difficult for the PCs to get hurt would be what you need to make pulp heroes. Pulp Cthulhu seems to be coming out, soon however.

Then I guess I'll just have to vote sci-fi every hour of every day>:->

I'm a huge fan of horror, and I think that CoC is probably the most perfect horror rpg yet designed. However, I always felt that it could use a LOT more splatterpunk style gameplay. I can't wait till Voodoo Virus comes out! I hope it has an emphasis on splatterpunk>:->

Interesting... Now if we could just get the authors of the unknown supplements over here to tell us about their projects. :cool:

SGL.

Can you ask Chaosium, itself, if they could send some info. your way? It seems that this is the premiere fan site for BRP, after all.

In my opinion, no. The trick to fencing in En Garde is really a matter of strategy and resource allocation -- there's no room for the die-rolled resolution of BRP (or most any other RPG for that matter). I've tinkered with the idea myself before, but never came up with anything satisfactory that worked better, or even as well, as the system contained in En Garde itself.

Now, what you could do, is graft BRP onto En Garde to handle skills other than fencing, but once you have a look at games like Vatican En Garde, you'll see that EG can handle social skills neatly, too.

If you're really in a mood to swashbuckle with BRP, I'd strongly suggest digging up a copy of GURPS: Swashbucklers and adapting Stephen O'Sullivan's tasty fencing schools to d100.

!i!

Thank you. I will check into GURPS: Swashbucklers. It looks like the person who wrote that book is also the person who invented the FUDGE role-playing system.

:focus:

En Garde could best be described as a "grand strategic" rpg. Instead of deciding what your character does in the next 15 second combat turn you decide how he will spend his time for the next week - will he visit his mistress or will he go on campaign with his regiment? What the game really is is an engine for setting up conflict between the PCs. The conflict is resolved in a duel using the a matrix driven set of fencing rules.

Actually a pretty cool game that I have not played in years. The rules were a bit opaque (standard for 70s GDW) but once you had them sorted out could be good fun. Great for PBM or a couple turns a week at a game club.

Thank you for your reply. That sounds like a very interesting game. Could the fencing matrix be adapted to BRP easily?

I think the main reason for complaints about DnD is due to the fact that they released 3.5 what oh 3 or 4 years ago and now we're getting yet another new version of the game. Oh and 3.5 came right on the heals of 3.0. I just think it's a reaction to a perceived notion that Wizards is just out to milk the fans of their money.

I remember one year back in the 80's, I forget which year it was, but TSR came out with 3 different versions of AD&D, because the rules in the prior one just wasn't good enough. My friends and I thought it was just to milk the consumers. That pretty much did it for our love of AD&D. It was Warhammer Fantasy from then on (and we liked the Warhammer gaming system a lot better, anyway).

The colonists have got to wash their clothes "green":)

Detergentless Haier WasH20 Washing Machine

I'm hoping someone on this forum from France has bought or used one of these and can tell us how good it works:)

Wow, that's amazing - and heartening! I had no idea En Garde! ws still around. It's nice to see these old seventies stalwarts passing the test of time.

Unlike most players I know, I have to say ...

I only found out about this game like 5 days ago. I'm kind of into swashbuckling right now, and the price of this game seems just right. If you are into swashbuckling too, check out this game:RPGNow.com - The leading source for indie RPGs which I'm going to print out soon (the core rule book) and convert to BRP--which will be easy, since it actually is a modified form of BRP.

Btw, can you tell me more about En Garde!?

I don't know if you're aware of this game:En Garde!

But since there seems to be a lot of swashbuckling in Planetary Romance. I just thought I'd pass on the info. as it seems to have some social climbing mechanics you might be interested in. And even a system for dueling that might be able to be adapted to BRP.

There's even an online game using the En Garde! game engine called Warriors of Mars that takes place on Barsoom.

I'm thinking of buying the game to convert to BRP for my Three Musketeers meets "Dawn of the Dead" setting that I'm kicking around.

A technology very often used on Pharos IV is the Savonius Turbine:

Savonius wind turbine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It is very simple, extremely rugged and quite cheap, and it works with ocean

currents just as well as with wind.

On Pharos IV, almost all floaters and ships have some kind of Savonius turbi-

ne as a secondary power production system, and even many seafloor habi-

tats use them.

Savonius turbines are also the type used for the colony's first ocean current

power plant. While their energy output is lower than that of other types of

turbines, the initial costs and the maintenance requirements are much lower,

too.

Due to the weather conditions on Pharos IV, the most common type is the

"flat" one without any kind of mast, approximately like this one:

Forgen Wind Powered Generator

Another technology often used on Pharos IV is Solar Paint:

Swansea University - Latest Research

Since both floaters and SWATH ships usually have large horizontal areas that

are not used very often for other purposes, it seemed a logical idea to use

such "sun decks" for energy production by coating them with solar paint.

Together, Savonius turbines and Solar paint provide just enough energy to

keep the basic life support systems of a floater or ship running in emergency

situations, for example when a cyclone interrupts the energy grid of a floater

settlement (which usually has only one fusion reactor on a separate floater),

or when a ship has to shut down its fusion reactor for some reason.

Thank you for the links. I'm a bit confused on the solar paint, though. Wouldn't there need to be 'electrodes' and batteries to collect the energy the paint is absorbing? It seems from the article that all you have to do is paint some steel and you've got electricity?

Strange indeed. I took the name Pharos from the famous lighthouse of Ale-

xandria, one of the Seven Wonders, perhaps they started with a similar idea.

The download has an interesting description of a seamount, perhaps I will

"borrow" a few ideas there.

I took a look at the other links again, and among the things I will introduce

to Pharos IV in the near future are:

- sea wave power and desalination plants,

- solar energy to power small watercraft (or at least to reload their energy

cells),

- bioplast and biomembranes produced from algae.

Some of the other ideas I will discuss with the players (or offer them to their

characters in the game).

Again, thank you very much for your help !

Thank you very much for your praise and gratitude of the links I post. I take a keen interest in "green" and "free" energy. So you can expect more of it--as I become aware of more of it--from me in the near future:thumb:

However, the Starcluster rpg (a percentile game system much like BRP as it was heavily influenced by BRP) has some source books that might help in giving ideas for creating the civilization on Pharos IV. They even have a free download of a water world name Faren (I thought it was an interesting coincidence in how close the names are:)). Scroll down to the bottom of the page.

Flying Mice LLC StarCluster RPG Page

Maybe even look at this:Chine Games Aquavita RPG Page

And this is basically links to the full product line:Better Mousetrap Games Main Page

I will try to come up with some more ideas during the week. I think I will be leaving for the night pretty soon.

Also, I was thinking that maybe the colonists would use some of the salt left over from desalination to create works of art like in this Polish salt mine:Wieliczka Salt Mine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

They would compress the salt and maybe use other processes to create halite:Halite - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I don't know if it's possible to do in a machine, but it is a sci-fi setting:D

This is just plain interesting:Scientists Discover How to Make Robots Bounce on Water : Environmental News Blog | Environmental Graffiti

Yep, another very good idea (the algae stuff) !

While my colonists have not much use for biodiesel as a fuel, I am sure that

the stuff can also be used as the raw material for the production of some

sort of "bioplastics", which could replace the expensive carbon fibre materials

used now in many of the simpler applications ... there seems to be a kind of

"green" chemical industry on the colony's horizon ...

http://science.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/10/15/2040213

Something the colonists can export.

And you can use all these devices as props and places to go for the colonists:)